Search age:

Search in:

Starc only focused on NSW Shield win

Joe Barton

Mitchell Starc won't let his mind wander to Friday's likely Adelaide Test squad announcement, saying his focus is on helping NSW run through Victoria's lower order to capitalise on late wickets secured on Wednesday evening.

The Blues cashed in on fading SCG light by bagging the wickets of Glenn Maxwell (39) and Peter Handscomb (0), giving the home side a much-needed lift after former Test opener Chris Rogers had blasted an unbeaten 84 to give the Bushrangers the upper hand in the Sheffield Shield clash.

The dual blow, delivered in tandem by Stephen O'Keefe and Josh Hazlewood, left the Bushrangers in a vulnerable state at 5-177, still 116 short of NSW's first-innings total of 293 set on Tuesday.

"It was nice to get those two wickets late there with that little burst of four overs," Starc said after the rain-marred day's play.

Advertisement

"That probably puts us back on even terms at the moment ... it's going to be a key session that first one, to get a couple of wickets and get into their bowlers hopefully with a bit of a lead."

Two hours and 15 minutes of play were lost to rain on day two but Starc, who is vying for a recall to the Australian team to play South Africa on Thursday week, said the overcast conditions hadn't had a significant impact on the wicket.

The tall left-armer didn't do his chances a great deal of good, taking just 1-50 off his 14 overs, but he said that was not his focus this week.

"We've got two more days of cricket out here," Starc said when asked if he'd done enough to regain his Test spot.

"All my focus is on winning the game for NSW and doing all I can with the ball and, if need be, a little bit with the bat to get the win.

"I'll let the rest of it worry about itself later."

His one victim was veteran Bushranger David Hussey, who was cramped for space when the left-armer came around the wicket and the Victorian played onto his stumps on nine.

Starc said the lifeless wicket meant the most-effective weapon among the Blues' much-vaunted pace attack was reverse swing - which young gun Josh Hazlewood exploited late in the day to have Handscomb trapped lbw.

"The new ball is one of the easier times to bat on this wicket because it's not doing a whole lot," he said.

"It's a pretty dead and slow wicket.

"You've got to make the most of that reverse swing when it comes ... there's not too much doing for the bowlers."

More than patience will be required to remove Rogers, who is in fine touch and hit 12 boundaries in his 178-ball knock while putting together a 69-run partnership with fellow opener Ryan Carters (33) and another 81-run effort with Maxwell.

Vastly-improved allrounder Moises Henriques was the pick of the bowlers, removing Carters and Aaron Finch (9) for the economical figures of 2-13 off nine overs.

Due to the time lost to poor weather on Wednesday, play will start half an hour early, at 10.30am AEDT, on Thursday.